Għaxar xemgħat

Ten candles

Your goalI can wish someone happy birthday, give a present, and say if I'm married, if I have children and where my parents live.

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Saturday. Balloons in the courtyard, a long table, a cake with ten candles. Ella's mother, the town doctor, is here too, with the usual party questions: Are you married? Do you have children? And your parents, where do they live? Then Marija turns the photo round: a boy of ten with a trumpet and a terrible haircut, at a window of number 7. Ġorġ grew up in your flat.

Saturday afternoon. Balloons in the courtyard, a long table, and the whole house.
Ella
Ħello! Illum għeluq snini! Issa għandi għaxar snin!
Hi! It's my birthday today! I'm ten now!
Għeluq sninek it-tajjeb, Ella! Dan għalik, minni u minn Ġorġ.
Happy birthday, Ella! This is for you, from me and from Ġorġ.
Għeluq sninek it-tajjeb, Ella! Dan għalik, minni u minn Ġorġ.
Happy birthday, Ella! This is for you, from me and from Ġorġ.
She tears off the paper.
Ella
Ktieb tat-tpinġija! Isfar! Grazzi ħafna!
A sketchbook! A yellow one! Thank you so much!
Lina carries out a big cake with ten candles.
Lina
U hawn hu l-kejk! Għaxar xemgħat!
And here's the cake! Ten candles!
Ella
Waħda, tnejn, tlieta... L-għaxra kollha!
One, two, three... All ten!
A tall woman with a light-brown ponytail sits down next to you.
Rita
Bonġu! Jien Rita, omm Ella. Int il-ġar il-ġdid?
Hello! I'm Rita, Ella's mother. You're the new neighbour?
Rita
Bonġu! Jien Rita, omm Ella. Int il-ġara l-ġdida?
Hello! I'm Rita, Ella's mother. You're the new neighbour?
Iva. Għandi pjaċir!
Yes. Nice to meet you!
Iva. Għandi pjaċir!
Yes. Nice to meet you!
Rita
Għandi pjaċir ukoll. Għidli, int miżżewweġ?
Nice to meet you too. Tell me, are you married?
Rita
Għandi pjaċir ukoll. Għidli, int miżżewġa?
Nice to meet you too. Tell me, are you married?
Le, m'inix miżżewweġ.
No, I'm not married.
Le, m'inix miżżewġa.
No, I'm not married.
Rita
U għandek tfal?
And do you have children?
Le, m'għandix tfal.
No, I don't have children.
Le, m'għandix tfal.
No, I don't have children.
Rita
U l-ġenituri tiegħek? Fejn joqogħdu?
And your parents? Where do they live?
Joqogħdu f'Hamburg.
They live in Hamburg.
Joqogħdu f'Hamburg.
They live in Hamburg.
Marija
Rita, diġà naf kollox. Mhux miżżewweġ, m'għandux tfal, u l-ġenituri f'Hamburg.
Rita, I already know all that. Not married, no children, parents in Hamburg.
Marija
Rita, diġà naf kollox. Mhix miżżewġa, m'għandhiex tfal, u l-ġenituri f'Hamburg.
Rita, I already know all that. Not married, no children, parents in Hamburg.
Kif taf kollox?!
How do you know everything?!
Kif taf kollox?!
How do you know everything?!
Rita laughs.
Rita
Iva, ommi taf kollox. U dejjem kienet hekk!
Yes, Mum knows everything. And she was always like that!
Marija takes out the photo that always faced the wall and turns it round: a boy of ten with a trumpet and a terrible haircut, at a window of number 7.
Marija
Ħares. Hawn, hu wkoll kellu għaxar snin.
Look. He was ten here too.
Dik it-tieqa tiegħi!
That's my window!
Dik it-tieqa tiegħi!
That's my window!
Ġorġ
U dak jien. Kont noqgħod fil-flat tiegħek meta kont żgħir.
And that's me. I lived in your flat when I was little.
Fil-flat tiegħi?!
In my flat?!
Fil-flat tiegħi?!
In my flat?!
Ella
Ġorġ! X'qatgħa kellek!
Ġorġ! What a haircut you had!
Marija
Iva, qatgħa terribbli. Għalhekk ir-ritratt kien b'wiċċu mal-ħajt.
Yes, a terrible haircut. That's why it faced the wall.
Marija
Ġorġ, tista' ddoqq għalina, jekk jogħġbok?
Ġorġ, could you play for us, please?
Ġorġ
Issa? Bi nhar?
Now? In the daytime?
Iva, Ġorġ! Għal Ella!
Yes, Ġorġ! For Ella!
Iva, Ġorġ! Għal Ella!
Yes, Ġorġ! For Ella!
Marija
Iva! Bi nhar, kollox possibbli.
Yes! In the daytime, anything's possible.
For once, the trumpet plays in daylight, and the whole house sings.
Marija
Għeluq sninek it-tajjeb, Ella!
Happy birthday to you, Ella!
Ċikku walks off across the courtyard with one of the candles in his mouth.
Ella
Ċikku! Ix-xemgħa numru għaxra!
Ċikku! Candle number ten!
Marija
Ma jimpurtax. Hu wkoll irid għeluq snin.
Never mind. He wants a birthday too.

Għaxar xemgħat

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